Presented by
JCC/W Master Gardeners
Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
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How did plants thrive B.C.—(Before chemicals)?
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Natural fertilizers, such as
composts and pasteurized
manures
Cover crops over the winter
to add nitrogen
Soil testing before
gardening and every two
years following
Treat your worms with
loving care!
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Must have 6-8 hours of
sunlight
Keep garden smallnever step on tilled soil
Have watering source
nearby
Consider raised beds
or “lasagna method” of
preparing soil
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Plant what your family will eat
Allow breathing space between
plants
Plot your garden on graph
paper
Make use of vertical spacetrellises, stakes, cones
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Look for plants
with healthy
roots and leaves
Plant only
certified seed
Buy plants from
reputable
growers
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Water in the morning
Cover your soil with mulch
Use organic herbicides to control
weeds
Inspect plants for insects
Dispose of diseased leaves &
plants
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Build a fence to keep
the big critters out!
Use row covers when
plants are tiny
If necessary, hang
strong-smelling soap
or shiny objects to
deter animals
Beneficial
Insects
Companion
Planting
YOUR GARDEN
HELPERS!
Beneficial
Birds
Plants
That Attract
Beneficial
Insects
Beneficial Insects
Ladybug
Everyone recognizes the familiar Ladybug, or ladybird
beetle. Many species have an enormous appetite for
aphids--one of our most common plant pests. Others
prefer scale insects and mites and are very effective in
reducing infestations.
Ladybug Eggs and Larvae are colorful, but their ferocious
appearance often causes unknowing gardeners to assume that they
must be harmful. Nothing could be further from the truth. The
larvae devours aphids and hundreds of other insects.
Prairie Sunflower
Fern-leaf
Yarrow
Tansy
Garlic
Chives
Dill
Butterfly
Weed
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The Praying Mantis is another widely-recognized insect
predator. Nymphs and adults alike lie in wait for an
unlucky insect which strays too close, then strike out to
grab it with their modified front legs.
Butterfly Caterpillar
To Attract Preying Mantis…
Plant a flowering shrub nearby
Provide lots of pesky
insects and moths
Place water
nearby
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The Green Lacewing Larvae are miniature monsters when
viewed at close range. They are deadly enemies of small
caterpillars, aphids, and other soft-bodied insects.
Dill
Coriander
Fern-leaf Yarrow
Fennel
Caraway
Parasitic
wasps on
a tomato
horn
worm
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Many Small Wasps are important parasites of other insects. Adult parasites are quite
small. Most range in size from 2 to 15 mm. Larvae of most parasites develop inside the
bodies of their prey, but some feed externally or pupate outside the host's body. These
parasites are important in suppressing populations of many insects. The adult small
wasp also feeds on many destructive insects as well as providing food for birds.
Mint
Fennel
Chervil
Cilantro
Some herbs and
flowers naturally
attract insect
predators.
Some herbs and flowers
have substances in their
roots, flowers or leaves
that naturally repel
insects.
Some herbs and
flowers naturally
attract pollinating
insects.
Potato beetles
chew up the
leaves of both
potato &
eggplant,
weakening the
plant until it
cannot produce.
Leaf miners chew up your
spinach leaves.
The asparagus
beetle feeds on the
asparagus spears,
causing browning
and scarring.
So
Plant…
Planting radishes among
your spinach draws leaf
miners away from the
spinach. The leaf miners
will eat the radish leaves,
but not harm the
radishes!
Plant beans
next to
eggplant and
the beans will
repel Colorado
potato beetles
which harm
eggplant.
Plant parsley
or tomatoes
next to
asparagus as
either repels
the asparagus
beetle.
Tomato
hornworms are
voracious,
munching entire
leaves, small
stems, and even
parts of immature
fruit.
Aphids enjoy eating most
vegetable leaves, drawing out
their sap and spreading viruses.
They are one of the most
common garden pests.
Cabbage moths may
look pretty, but their
eggs turn into hungry
caterpillars that gobble
up cabbage leaves.
So plant..
Plant chives & coriander to
keep aphids out of your
garden.
Plant pot
marigold or
opal basil
next to
tomatoes to
keep the
tomato
hornworm
away.
Plant rosemary or sage
with cabbage to keep the
cabbage moth and
caterpillar away.
The squash
bug loves to
eat up all your
squash leaves,
weakening the
squash plant.
Look for the
eggs of the
potato beetle
and remove
them before the
beetle hatches!
Nematodes can seriously damage most garden
plants by puncturing cell walls and sucking out
their insides..
Bean plant leaves are the favorite
food of the bean beetle.
So plant..
Sweet alyssum repels
the potato beetle and
other damaging
insects as well as
attracting beneficial
insects.
Marigolds repel many types of
beetles, aphids and nematodes
and attracts pollinators as well as
enhancing the growth of many
vegetables.
Nasturtium repels
squash bugs, attracts
beneficial insects and
tastes good.
Blue Bird
Wren
Swallow
Cardinal
Bird
Feeder
Birdhouse
Lots of
Bugs
Bird Bath
Daisies
Sunflowers
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Remove rotting leaves
immediately
Pick ripe produce every week
Cut back overgrown plants
Resolve pest & disease
problems as they appear
Always pick the most
environmentally-friendly
solutions first
For insect eggs
and aphidsscrape them
off or spray
them off into a
jar of water.,,or
spray with
insecticidal
soap
For tomato
hornworms
and slugspick them off
and dispose
of them or
stamp on
them.
But leave the ladybug
eggs and let them
hatch!
Insecticidal Soap Spray
 2 tbs liquid soap
without additives or
perfume
 1-3 tbs horticultural
or canola oil
 quart of water
Fill spray bottle with solution. Spray
small invasive insects thoroughly. Let
dry and rinse with clear water.
Use floating row
covers to
protect squash
from squash
bugs or beans
from the
Mexican bean
beetle.
Use sticky traps for any
insects that are attracted to
color such as aphids. They
are also useful in protecting
cucumber from the
cucumber beetle.
Plant in warm soil
& water often.
Work in plenty of rich
compost & mulch well.
Add crushed egg shells
and/or clam & oyster shells
for calcium.
There are three stages of the squash vine
borer. The first are minuscule eggs, then a
red-bellied adult and finally a hungry
caterpillar that devours the stem.
A floating row cover early, then a
commercial organic insecticidal
soap, and finally, if the caterpillar
still appears-an organic BTK such as
Thuricide are efficient organic
controls.
Product1
Insects Controlled
Bacillus thuringiensis Most caterpillars, loopers,
hornworms, bagworms
Remarks
This product, also known as Bt.,
is sold under many trade names
M-One, M-Track,
Foil, Novodor
Colorado potato beetle
Two strains of Bt will control potato
beetles: Bacillus thuringiensis ssp.
Insecticidal soap
Works well on soft bodied insects, in
particular aphids, mites, mealy bugs
Rotenone
Pyrethrum/DiatoMaceous Earth
san diego & ssp.tenebrionis.
Colorado potato beetle, aphids,
weevils, Mexican bean beetles
Whiteflies, fire ants
This product is sold under many
trade names & is a fatty acid soap.
Usually sold as a dust, but some
can be mixed with water,
See label for precautions
Neem
Broad spectrum
See label for precautions.
Hot Pepper Wax
Aphids, mites, thripes
See label for precautions
When we try
to control
nature, we’re
on the losing
side.
Our gardens
don’t always
look
perfect…
..as we are
respecting all
life on our
planet.
…but our
harvest is
beautiful
and
delicious!!
www.jccwmg.org
or
757-564-2175
Our task must be to free ourselves
By widening our circle of
compassion
To embrace all living creatures
And the whole of nature in its
beauty
..Albert Einstein